An
important and influential musical figure from South Louisiana with some records
still revered in many circles, Charles "Mad Dog" Sheffield remains
nevertheless and despite all our efforts to unearth any clue, a very elusive
artist.

In
his essential book, "South to Louisiana" from 1983, John Broven
writes some facts about Charles Sheffield, particularly about his sessions and
him being from Lake Charles. And those lines have been reproduced again and
again through the years without unearthing further facts! But thanks to the late Eric Le Blanc we know that our man was in fact born in Houston (Tx) on February 16, 1931.

But in
1955-56, Charles recorded a dozen titles in Lake Charles for local producer and
Goldband label owner Eddie Shuler. Good sides backed by a top-notch band with
Clarence Garlow playing the guitar and the great Lionel Torrence blowing his
saxophone. But these are the following sessions in 1959-61 - this time for the
ubiquitous J.D. Miller in his Crowley studios - that will launch Sheffield's
reputation. Everything here is exceptionnal from the boisterous Shoe shoe chicken to the New Orleans
type dance tune The Kangaroo through
the masterpiece It's your voodoo working,
still highly praised everywhere and certainly one of the very best track coming
from South Louisiana during the 1960's.

But
the success must have been modest. Charles would record only twice in New
Orleans in 1965-66 before vanishing completely. He died in Beaumont (Tx) on March, 27, 2010.To
add to the mystery, Sheffield has been credited on several anthologies of
titles in which he is not present at all! We have put those in the discography.
Five titles are still missing to give a complete collection of Charles' works
and any copy of it would be welcomed and fully credited.

* selon notre ami Benoit Blue Boy, le Come on home sur ce 45t n'a jamais été par Charles Sheffield mais par Joe Barry (avec Joey Long à la guitare). Les deux faces ont été éditées sous le nom de Prince Charles! According to our friend Benoit Blue Boy, Come on home on this 45 that was issued under the name "Prince Chales" has never been by Charles Sheffield but by Joe Barry. That same track would later be reissued under the proper name (Thanks a lot to this)

Charles Sheffield died on 27 March 2010 at his home in Beaumont,Texas at the age of 79.He was born in Houston on 16 February 1931.(Source:Eric LeBlanc,who picked up an obituary notice in the Houston Chronicle,April 1,2010)http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=charles-richard-sheffield&pid=141345358

Sorry MarcD but although the picture you've send me is really Charles Sheffield, this "Come on home" is by Joe Barry and not by Charles Sheffield (thanks to Benoit Blue Boy and Annie Barry for their expertise)

Thanks for this one, which was totally unknown for me! And apart from that, a big thanks for your all your precise scholarship works on this music, because it is one thing to scan and rip something, but you also give detailed information about who was present at the recordings, etc. and of course all the other background informations. Your a one of a kind and words can do no justice for your contributions to keeping the blues alive and let others be able to hear it!